A routine night of breaking-news coverage turned fatal on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, when an NBC4 Los Angeles news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, killing three people. The aircraft went down between commercial buildings while providing aerial coverage of an earlier fatal collision involving a Metro bus and an SUV.
Shortly after 5 p.m. local time, an SUV smashed into the side of a Metro bus travelling on Nordhoff Street at De Soto Avenue, trapping bus riders inside and prompting a heavy deployment of emergency crews, according to local authorities.
As multiple news helicopters circled overhead to document the wreckage, a second catastrophe unfolded nearby. At approximately 7 p.m., the NewsChopper4 aircraft operated by Angel City Air for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 plummeted between two commercial buildings on the 9100 block of Mason Avenue, erupting into a massive fireball.
Inside the Chatsworth Crash Site: Fire, Wreckage, and Casualties
More than 70 firefighters flooded the industrial area to battle the blaze, which damaged four vehicles and two storage containers parked in the commercial yard. First responders arrived to find the aircraft largely obliterated, complicating initial rescue and recovery efforts.
Authorities confirmed that three people died as a result of the helicopter crash, while a fourth person was transported to a hospital. Investigators and fire officials revealed that one of the deceased victims was a pedestrian on the ground outside the aircraft.
“We do have one confirmed patient that seemed to be outside of the helicopter when it crashed. That person was declared deceased on scene. … At this point, we have not confirmed how many victims, or how many people, were inside the helicopter.”
Branden Silverman, LAFD Captain
Captain Silverman noted that the severity of the destruction meant crews had to painstakingly sift through the rubble to determine the exact number of occupants on board and identify the aircraft’s remains.
An Industry and a City in Mourning
As the evening progressed, the human toll of the disaster became clearer for local newsrooms and city leadership. NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams became visibly emotional on air shortly after 9 p.m., confirming to viewers that the downed chopper belonged to the station and announcing that they were temporarily unable to make contact with the crew. Later reporting identified longtime aerial journalist Eliana Moreno among those aboard.
“We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”
NBC4 and Telemundo 52, via San Francisco Chronicle
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed reporters at the scene, describing the night as a heartbreaking moment for the city.
The disaster marks a historical parallel for the station.
Federal Investigators Move In as Questions Remain
With the flames extinguished and makeshift canopies erected over victims at the Mason Avenue site, attention has shifted to uncovering what caused the aircraft to fail. Officials from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were expected to begin examining the wreckage on Wednesday morning.
Investigators face a complex task piecing together the timeline in an industrial corridor already crowded with emergency vehicles, police cruisers, and competing news crews. While authorities have not yet determined the specific cause of the helicopter crash, federal safety inspectors and local police departments continue their joint inquiry into the sequence of events that turned a routine reporting assignment into a double tragedy.